[Rockhounds] Software for photo processing

Thu Jan 31 14:55:58 PST 2008

That is true, Bryan, but nothing beats a good picture.
For fluorescence photography you may want to use RGB instead of sRGB and
play a little with color adjustment. If I would need more on specimens that
are larger than say 2 mm (image width 3 mm) I 'd need better lenses, better
camera, or a course in photography.  ;-)))
The latter is probably true anyway...

Axel

> -----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
> Van: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com 
> [mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] Namens J Bryan Kramer
> Verzonden: donderdag 31 januari 2008 22:08
> Aan: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem 
> collectors
> Onderwerp: Re: [Rockhounds] Software for photo processing
> 
> For most users PS Elements is all they need but the 
> difference is a more than you think. Unless you really learn 
> to use Photoshop, and that is no simple task then you won't 
> comprehend the differences. I'll list some of them
> 
> Actions
> CYMK and LAB
> Layer masks
> Channels (very important)
> Alpha masks
> History palette
> Quickmask
> Adjustment layers
> HDR
> Stitching
> Stacking
> Layer styles
> Luminosity blending
> Calculations
> Channel Mixer
> Color Balance
> Soft Proofing
> 
> And this list could go on for another page or more. Not much 
> of the above list makes any difference to 90% of 
> photographers. But the items above are all important to 
> people seriously working in digital photography. I'd actually 
> say that PSE has 50% of what photoshop does. But unless you 
> are willing to spend months learning photoshop and actually 
> need those features then the 50% that PSE has is all you need.
> 
> And only 10% or so of Photoshop users are photographers, the 
> rest are mainly graphic designers. Adobe actually has a 
> advanced photographers tool called Lightroom. But it still 
> lacks many of the items on the list above but it does have a 
> very powerful media archiving tool set. It runs about $300 
> over here. However many LR owners end up with CS3 anyway 
> since they still need it for that 10% of shots that need the 
> CS3 toolset.
> 
> Just to give you an idea of how madly complex CS3 is, I'm 
> work my way thru a
> 40+ hour video series on masking, which is just one tool in 
> the list above.
> 
> And finally, Adobe knows how poor the CS3 GUI is, but they 
> say that every time they try to make the most minor change, 
> or hint at making a change, they are flooded with complaints 
> from current users. We know how to use it, and we suffered to 
> learn how to use it, and we don't want any changes...period. 
> That's the attitude from the current user base, and I'm 
> sympathetic with it.
> 
> BK
> 
> 
> On Jan 31, 2008 3:40 PM, Rik Dillen <rik.dillen at skynet.be> wrote:
> 
> > Photography is my second hobby, and I think I can say that I'm an 
> > experienced photographer (not photographing specimens, but general 
> > photography). I work with a Nikon D200 and a Nikon D70, and for 
> > processing I use Photoshop Elements (since a few weeks version 6.0).
> > Some personal thoughts :
> >
> > - Photoshop Elements 6.0 costs around 100 euro (!) here, 21 % VAT 
> > included. This is the equivalent of about 150 USD.
> > Possible discounts are marginal here. In a bundle with Première 
> > Elements it is much cheaper (about 151 EUR for the bundle, 
> = 225 USD)
> > - IMHO Photoshop El 6 has almost 95 % of the features to 
> "tune" your 
> > photos for "normal" use. Except for a professional 
> photographer with a 
> > really high workload, who has to prepare photos for professional 
> > printing in magazines or who has to create very special effects to 
> > perfection etc. I think that 1000-1300 EUR (official price 
> here, all 
> > incl. !) is a tremendous overkill. On the other hand I 
> agree that, if 
> > you really need the functions it offers extra, the price should not 
> > play a role, but for me anyway it is not worth a 1000 EUR or more 
> > extra. If the ratio would be rather 100/300-400 I might have 
> > considered perhaps to purchase CS3.
> > - The most important tool in the process of photography is 
> the camera 
> > (incl. lenses) combined with the person behind the camera. A good 
> > photo usually does not need that much processing (limited 
> to "normal" 
> > use)
> > - I agree with the fact that it is not user-friendly, and mostly I 
> > don't find the answer to a question in the help-file (including the 
> > online help-site), but elsewhere on the web. Adobe seems to be a 
> > specialist in disguising information in such a way that the user 
> > cannot find it. But that is the same for Photoshop CS3.
> > - I had to wait for weeks to get an English version of El 6. I just 
> > refuse to work with the Dutch version, as the translation 
> of function 
> > descriptions is totally unacceptable (as for most other software, 
> > including Microsoft), and often plug-ins etc. are not available in 
> > other languages than English.
> >
> > Just my opinion, I admit it is presented here a bit  in (too) black 
> > and white...
> > Don't throw stones, collect them :>)
> > Greetings,
> >
> > Rik DILLEN
> > Doornstraat 15,  B-9170 Sint-Gillis-Waas Belgium E-mail 
> > rik.dillen at skynet.be Homepage : http://users.skynet.be/rik.dillen
> >
> > MINERANT 2008  -  26-27 April 2008
> > Bouwcentrum (Antwerp Expo)
> > Jan Van Rijswijcklaan 191 Antwerpen
> > http://www.minerant.org/mka/minerantnl.html
> > Mineral collector's page http://www.minerant.org/
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com [mailto:
> > rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of J Bryan Kramer
> > Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 8:17 PM
> > To: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem 
> collectors
> > Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] New Idria cinnabar
> >
> > Shop around, you can get it for $70. PSE has all you need as a 
> > starting photographer. It does not even come close to what 
> a serious 
> > photographer needs. But most people should be just fine with PSE.
> >
> > BK
> >
> > On Jan 31, 2008 2:01 PM, Tim Jokela Jr. 
> <tjokela at execulink.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Photoshop Elements is like $120 and has all you need. 
> Handy program 
> > > but
> > I
> > > wish they'd made it user-friendly, I swear it'd be easier 
> to learn a 
> > > second language than to figure out anything besides the basics in 
> > > Photoshop.
> > >
> > > Tim Jokela Jr., tjokela at execulink.com
> > > Business: http://www.element51.com
> > > Pleasure: http://www.ontariominerals.com
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "J Bryan Kramer" <codeburner at gmail.com>
> > > To: "Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and 
> gem collectors"
> > > <rockhounds at lists.drizzle.com>
> > > Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 12:29 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] New Idria cinnabar
> > >
> > >
> > > > Axel, Photoshop costs between $700 and $1000 so I 
> suspect it isn't 
> > > > the first choice for people with $200 cameras.
> > > >
> > > > BK
> > >
> > > --
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> >
> >
> > --
> > "I know I shall be castigated by a large group of people 
> today, but I 
> > was trained to assume that art related to the elusive quality of 
> > beauty and that the purpose of art was concerned with the 
> elevation of 
> > the spirit"
> > Ansel Adams
> >
> >
> > J Bryan Kramer
> > North Florida, USA
> > photos at:
> > http://pbase.com/photoburner
> >
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> 
> 
> 
> --
> "I know I shall be castigated by a large group of people 
> today, but I was trained to assume that art related to the 
> elusive quality of beauty and that the purpose of art was 
> concerned with the elevation of the spirit"
> Ansel Adams
> 
> 
> J Bryan Kramer
> North Florida, USA
> photos at:
> http://pbase.com/photoburner
> 
> 
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